Google barge to leave San Francisco for Stockton

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google's mystery barge is heading on a short cruise to comply with an order requiring it to move from its current home on a San Francisco Bay island.

The agency leasing the Treasure Island space where the barge is being built says the four-story vessel is bound for the Port of Stockton, a destination located about 80 miles east of San Francisco.

The barge is supposed to move by March 7, according to Mirian Saez, director of operations for the Treasure Island Development Authority, which rented the vessel's current home.

Google Inc. and the Port of Stockton didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The barge is leaving because of a Jan. 31 regulatory order concluding that Google didn't have the proper building permits at Treasure Island. The Port of Stockton falls outside the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the regulator that cracked down on the barge.

Google had halted work on the barge late last year amid speculation that the Mountain View, Calif., company was building an aquatic store to sell its products or a party boat.

The company says the barge will serve as an interactive technology center once it's done. A similar barge is being built by Google on the East Coast, too.

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